Riveting-machine.



F. THOMPSON.

RIVETING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 6,41909.

rammed Nov. 29, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PETERS C0,. WASHINGTON, D. c

F. THOMPSON.

EIVETING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1909.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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Patented N0v.29, 1910.

I. THOMPSON.

RIVETING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILBD APR. 6, 1909.

977,344. Patented N0v.29, 1910.

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Illllllllliilll t me 1 FRANK THOMPSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RIVETING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Application filed April 6, 1909. Serial No. 488,269.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Riveting-liachines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The machine or structure of the present invention is intended andadapted more particularly for the riveting of large and unwieldystructures, such as tanks or boilers; and the object of the invention isto so construct, arrange and mount the riveting devices that they mayact against the interior of the tank walls at a very considerabledistance from the mouth of the tank, being supported and sustained froma position entirely outside of the tank, so that the tank can be movedlongitudinally without difliculty or delay.

A further object of the invention is to so mount and support the tankthat its position, with respect to the riveting devices, can be readilyshifted from time to time as the riveting operation progresses.

The invention relates particularly to the supporting structure for theriveting mechanism; to the riveting mechanism itself; to the meansprovided for supporting and mov ing the tank; and to the structure as awhole and the individual parts thereof. And the invention finallyconsists in the features of construction and combination of partshereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the entire structure,showing the tank in section; Fig. 2 an end elevation of the same; Figs.3 and 1, details of the riveting mechanism in different positions ofadjustment; Fig. 5 a cross sectional elevation of the rivetingmechanism, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 an edge elevation ofthe toggles controlling the movements of the riveter and dolly and Fig.7, a plan view of the supporting framework.

Referring to Fig. 1, the riveting mechanism is supported and carried bya framework 7 which comprises companion top rails S and bottom rails 9.The rails are so arranged as to diverge vertically toward their outer orpivoted ends and converge horizontally in the same direction. Theconvergent ends of the upper and lower rails unite into pivotal tongues10 and 11, respectively, provided with pintles 12 which are supportedfrom an upright structure 13 of suflicient size and rigidity to sustainthe frame-work despite its great length and weight.

The rails composing the frame-work, at its inner and unsupported end,converge vertically and diverge horizontally to provide for thereception of a floor or platform 14 which carries a riveter 15. Therails of the frame-work are spaced and united into an integral structureby means of the necessary diagonal braces 16 which are located andarranged according to the requirements of engineering practice towithstand the strains to which the parts are intended to be subjected.'L

The upright structure 13 rests upon and is rigidly secured to a pair ofsills or beams 17 which extend forwardly under the framework and areintended to anchor the upright or supporting structure 13 againstforward tilting or tipping due to the weight supported. The tank orboiler is carried by a truck 18 mounted upon wheels 19 which run upon atrack 20 so located as to permit the tank or boiler to be movedlongitudinally with respect to the riveting mechanism carried at the endof the frame-work. The truck is provided with inner and outer supportingrollers 21 and 22, respectively. The inner rollers 21 are journaled upona pair of rigidly mounted journal supports 23, and the outer rollers 22are mounted upon a pair of outer journal supports 24: which are looselyconnected by means of tie plates 25, with the frame of the truck in suchmanner as to permit wedges 26 to be driven under the base of each of thesupports from the outer side thereof so as to tiltthe supports inwardlyand thereby adjust the rollers with respect to tanks or boilers ofdiffering diameter.

Each of the rollers is mounted upon a shaft 27 which carries a sprocketwheel 28, and all or some of the sprocket wheels are rotated in unisonby means of sprocket chains 29 driven from any source of power, notshown, which arrangement permits the tank or boiler to be rotated fromtime to time, as controlled by the operatoigin order to rotate theboiler as the riveting progresses.

It will be understood that such of the rollers only as are required maybe positively driven in order to accommodate the particular class ofwork desired to be riveted.

The riveting mechanism, which is mounted upon the platform, at the innerend of the frame-work, comprises a cylinder 30 which is bolted orriveted to a laterally elongated frame 31 comprising inner and outerarms 32 and 38, respectively, which arms, at their outer ends, unite ina pair of heads 31. The cylinder has located therein a trunk piston 35which has pivoted thereto a piston rod 36, the outer end or which ispivoted to the connected inner ends of a pair of links 37, the outer endof each of which links is pivoted to a shank 38 which is slidably mounted through one of the heads One of the shanks carries, at its outer end,a riveting tool 39, and the other shank carries, at its outer end, adolly 40. The construction is such that when the piston is drivenforward, as shown in Fig. 3, the riveting tool and the dolly will beoutwardly projected in position to engage the-inner walls of the tank onopposite sides.

The riveting tool cooperates with a backing block ll which, in the formshown, is hung from a link 42 carried by an upright 43 located alongsideof the track upon which the truck runs and immediately adjacent to theinner or forward end of the frame work. The backing block, as shown, isprovided, on its rear face, with a beveled or cam surface A, which isengaged by a wedge 45 carried by a piston 46 adapted to be upwardlymoved from a cylinder el-T, the construction being such that an upwardmovement of the wedge will swing the backing block into close engagementwith the outer surface of the tank and in position to support the rivetfrom without when subjected to the pressure of the riveting tool fromwithin. scribed is duplicated, on each side of the track, for purposesof convenience, and holding the boiler in place.

It will be understood that the cylinders 3 and d7 are both supplied witha suitable medium under pressure, as compressed air, from any suitablesource of supply under the control of the operator.

In use, the tank or boiler to be riveted is mounted upon the truck andrests upon the center rollers which are held in fixed position. in orderto firmly position the tank or boiler, the outer rollers can be swunginwardly by driving in the wedges 26, after which the tank or boiler isin condition to be riveted. After a rivet has been inserted, theoperator, who preferably occupies the platform let at the inner end ofthe framework, will admit pressure to the piston 47, which throws thebacking block 44; into position to engage the head of the rivet, afterwhich the operator admits pressure to the cylinder 30, and, with theadmission of pressure, the toggles will be spread, therebysimultaneously projecting the dolly and the riveting tool, the former ofwhich engages the off wall of the tank, while the riveting The mechanismpreviously de-,,

tool exerts the necessary pressure on the pro ectmg' end of the rivet.to spread or up- I set the rivet and complete the operation.

By throwing the dolly into engagement with the ch wall of the tank, thenecessary backing is given to the riveting tool, which permits theframe-work to be hung in the manner described, without the necessity forfurnishing any reinforcement against lateral movement, whichreinforcement would be necessary if the r'veting tool were unsupportedby the dolly. In fact, it would be practically impossible, in the caseof a long framework, to furnish sul'licient external support towithstand the riveting pressure exerted at a very considerable distancefrom the supported end of the arm. By providing the dolly and actuatingit in unison with the riveting tool, a sufiiciently rigid support forthe frame-work can be :t'urnished, and the tank can be easily revolvedafter the completion of each riveting operation.

Furthermore, the construction is one which permits the frame-work to beswung to a considerable degree out of parallelism with the axis of thetank, which is desirable under special conditions. By reason of thelocation of the riveting devices, it is possible to rivet to the extremeend of the tank or boiler, which is necessary or desirable in rivetingthe head to the tank or boiler.

Although the invention has been described with considerableparticularity as to detail, it is obvious that many of the featuresdeseribed could be changed or modified, and the location and,arrangement of the parts changed, without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters. Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a supportingstructure, a :ltrame-work laterally extending therefrom, rivetingdevices carried by the frame-work, a wedge-shaped backing block heldagainst up and down movement and adapted to bear against the outside ofthe work adjacent to the riveting device, and a wedgeshaped blockoperably connected to mechanism to actuate it and force the backingblock into engagement with the work, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a supportingstructure, an arm laterally extending therefrom, riveting devicescarried by the arm, a movable support for the work located below thearm, power driven rollers mounted upon said support for rotating thework, and means for adjusting the rollers, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a supportingstructure, an

arm laterally extendlng therefrom, riveting devices carried by the arm,a movable support for the work located below the arm, rollers mountedupon said support, said 5 rollers being located with respect to oneanother to form a semi-cylindrical seat for the work, means forrevolving sald rollers, whereby the work 15 rotated about lts axis,

and means for adjusting the rollers to vary 7 the are of thesemi-cylindrical seat for the 10 work provided thereby, substantially asdescribed.

FRANK THOMPSON. Witnesses Jos. H. AMns, WALKER BANNING.

